I am a high school senior and am planning to go to college next year. I’m not quite sure where I’ll go yet but the one where I am most likely headed has given me enough merit-based aid to cover tuition and a small part of housing/meals/etc. This already puts me way ahead of many others in pursuit of scholarships and aid. Since then I have used online resources to apply for some other scholarships but now I’m starting to wonder if that was an ethical move or not; there are plenty of people out there who will not receive as much merit-based aid and have a much lower household income than my family does.
I’m not quite comfortable sharing our income but it is just slightly above the point at which schools like Princeton stop giving need-based aid. So we’re not rich but we’re pretty secure and can probably afford to pay for my education, especially if I am able to receive aid if/when I go to graduate school. Is it ethical for me to apply for more financial aid knowing that there are others who are in a less fortunate situation than I?
When I was in school, I had multiple small scholarships (only one I actually applied for) in addition to a full-ride scholarship. My freshman year I was virtually rolling in cash. But my award package decreased as I continued, probably because my college felt I didn’t need any more enticements to stay. So it was good that I had a bounty when I first started because it allowed me to build up a little savings.
It sounds like you’ll still have some expenses not covered by the school, so it’s not like you’re looking for extra money to cover luxury items. Don’t feel guilty.
Apply for all the scholarships you can. I can remember one guy I graduated with that ended up with something like ten scholarships, and all I got was $500. His scholarships were thousands each. He could have just stayed on stage. Still if they are going to help you graduate then apply. It’s money setting in accounts begging to be put to use. Going to school full time and having to earn money is hard Owing money after graduation, when you don’t have to is plain dumb.
You have every right, without qualm, to apply for enough financial aid that you or your parents won’t have to go into debt to put you through college. After that, it gets a little fuzzier.
Bear in mind that any scholarship you can apply for online will be applied for by lots of people and so it’s unlikely that you’ll get more than one more. If you’ve got tuition covered and part of room and board covered, I’m guessing you’re looking at 3-6 thousand short, right? You can earn a couple thousand at least over the summer and breaks, and it’s not impossible to work 6 or 8 hours a week during the school year to help close the gap. If you’re in a place with a good minimum wage, then you might be able to get by without loans. If not, you should definitely be applying for more aid.
If you meet the qualifications, submit an application. Repeat as often as possible.
They WANT you to apply if you qualify. If someone else is more deserving they will award the grant to them instead of to you.